CLEVELAND, Ohio. – Following over 40 years of leadership to the University of New Haven, retired Associate Vice President, Director of Athletics and Recreation Deborah Chin was named as one of eight members who make up the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) 2018 Hall of Fame class.
In addition to Chin, NACDA's Hall of Fame Class is made up of Warner Alford, University of Mississippi; Ron Case, Rowan College at Gloucester County; Ed Matejkovic, West Chester University; Ed Farrington, Western Connecticut State University; Mike Jacobsen, Utah Valley University; Steve McCarty, Stephen F. Austin State University and Brian Quinn, Cal State Fullerton. The 2018 Hall of Fame class will receive their awards on Saturday, June 30 at NACDA's 53rd Annual Convention at the Learfield Directors' Cup Luncheon at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
The University of New Haven's fourth director of athletics, Chin retired in February 2017 after assuming the role in 1993. She was the primary architect in building the Department of Athletics into a national power within NCAA Division II. Under her leadership, University of New Haven teams made more than 70 NCAA postseason appearances and claimed dozens of New England Collegiate Conference and Northeast-10 Conference Championships.
Chin's contributions to the University of New Haven and to intercollegiate athletics in general began long before she was named the school's fourth athletics director. She began her career at the university as coordinator of women's athletics in 1975 and was responsible for starting the women's intercollegiate athletics program, coaching volleyball, tennis, basketball, and softball in the early years. Chin eventually relinquished all head coaching responsibilities, except volleyball, when she was promoted to associate director of athletics in 1979.
As head women's volleyball coach, Chin fashioned a Hall of Fame resume, earning induction into the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Hall of Fame in December 2006. Chin is also a member of the Connecticut Volleyball Hall of Fame (inducted October 1998), the Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame (April 1999), and the Athletics Hall of Fame at her alma mater, SUNY-Cortland.
In addition to her legacy at New Haven, Chin established herself as a positive force at the regional and national levels, serving on more than 30 governance committees and championing opportunities for student-athletes, particularly women. Chin was a board member for the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA) from 1993-96 and was named that organization's NCAA Division II Administrator of the Year in 2009. The National Association for Girls and Women in Sports also honored Chin with its Presidential Award in 1997.